| channel | a server in a service system.
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| customer | a unit an-arriving for service (e.g., a person, an order, an item in need of repair). finite population source: a system that has a limited number of potential customers.
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| finite population source | a system that has a limited number of potential customers.
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| infinite population source | a system that has a potential number of customers that is very large relative to the capacity of the system.
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| multiple-channel system | a system with more than one server.
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| multiple-priority model | a waiting line model that has more than one category of customers; arriving customers are assigned to a category and then processed according to priority category rather than first-come, first-served.
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| queue | a waiting line.
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| queue discipline | the order in which customers are processed or served. First-come, first served is service in order of arrival.
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| server | attendant, machine, etc., that handles customer service or processing.
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| service time | processing time: the time a customer is in the system minus time spent waiting in line for service.
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| steady-state conditions | a system operating under stable conditions (i.e.. arrival and service patterns are not changing over time).
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| system | consists of customers waiting in line plus those being served plus the server(s).
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| system utilization | the proportion of time a service facility is busy with customer processing.
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| waiting time in line | the usually nonproductive time customers wait before being served or processed.
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| waiting time in the system | time in line plus processing time.
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